Movie Review - Rosewater

Rosewater **** (out of 5) (R) As an ardent fan of The Daily Show, when Jon Stewart left for the summer of 2013 to direct this movie, I was sorry to see him go, even though his decision was not only understandable, but laudable. The film dramatizes the true story of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari who was imprisoned for 118 days on bogus charges of espionage, largely due to his appearing in a satirical skit for Stewart’s show. After the ordeal, Bahari wrote a compelling memoir, which formed the basis for Stewart’s debut as director and co-writer of the screenplay for a feature film. One need not be Jewish to be motivated by guilt...but it certainly helps.

Gael Garcia Bernal plays Bahari, a Tehran native living in London and working for Newsweek. He returned home to cover their hotly-contested 2009 elections. While there, he met members of the opposition during his reporting, fearing more for their safety than they seemed to. He also sat down with Daily Show “correspondent” Jason Jones for an amusing interview that wound up causing more unanticipated backlash than laughs. At first, Bahari couldn’t believe his captors didn’t know the bit was in jest. But months of isolation and interrogation took a severe toll on him, as would be true for anyone.

The film efficiently covers the period from just before his return to Iran until the end of his incarceration, powerfully depicting the ordeal not only from his perspective, but including plenty of context for how and why it occurred, and how much diversity exists among the Iranian populace, despite the staunch theocratic facade presented by their political leaders. The viewing experience is far from pleasant, though the government’s methods of trying to force a public confession to a crime he never even dreamed of committing were far more psychological than physical. Mideast locations added a sense of authenticity to all the scenes outside his prison. This is a compelling tale not only because it’s true, but for how it is emblematic of many big-picture issues underlying our dealings with Iran and throughout the entire region.

The movie should turn out to be a win-win. John Oliver’s stint behind the desk while Stewart was away likely led to his superb weekly news-with-a-comic- twist show (just renewed for a second season) on HBO. It’s a Daily Show clone, with more of a global perspective, and deepeer looks at fewer topics per episode. Stewart’s delivery of such an intense, insightful account of this appalling set of events is especially impressive for a guy who spent years primarily as a stand-up comic before finding his voice as a first-rate satirist. Even so, we can all be glad he’s back at The Daily Show. Someone has to keep shining the light on all of our cultural or political “emperors” when they’re less dressed than they think. (11/14/14)